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Hayward
"Very well, Ben." His hand going to his shining beard once again, you watch as Mensa closes his eyes, his brow deeply furrowed in reminescing. "No one truly knows where Saros and Rapa came from, but legend has it that they were borne from the moon, after the planets and the world were formed."

"The moon?" Ikira asks, though from a glance in her direction you can tell out of her feigned interest that she's simply saying this as if on cue; unsurprising considering her experience with her father's tale.

"Yes, Ikira. Saros and Rapa represent the phases of the moon, when it is full, new or somewhere in between," nods Mensa with a smile. "As the moon ebbs and flows between its phases, so does the waters flowing through Lacuna flow. We have much to thank the moon for, and as a result, we likewise have much to thank Saros and Rapa for."

"But then, why are we even deciding who should lead the city of Lacuna?" questions Ikira, and this time you can tell she's genuinely curious, as are you. "Doesn't the legend say that both Saros and Rapa were responsible for Lacuna's prosperity?"

"As does the moon and tide follow their cycles, so do the blessings of the moon, dear child," Mensa explains. "Prosperity and disaster, darkness and light, the full moon and the new moon. None can exist without the existence of the other. However... in recent times, we have been experiencing more frequent disasters and cataclysms," frowns the priest. "Sandstorms, wild Pokémon onslaughts, even the Laos River has been flooding more frequently and strongly than it should be. We're not even in the flooding season yet." Thinking back to the verbal exchanges between Kiru and Ikira earlier, you recall that something along those lines certainly has been mentioned.

"The priority of a city's leaders is, regardless of what may come, to protect its people and safeguard their interests," sighs Mensa. "Unfortunately, ashamed as I am to admit it, we have not been able to do so for the past few weeks."

"Is that why..."

"You are correct, Ikira. Where we have failed, the practitioners of Rapa have been successfully predicting all these negative events. Usually we would be both shouldering the city's governance; specifically, they would be handling the markets and defence aspects, while we championed diplomacy and order... but since we have not been able to secure order, the temple of Rapa has been stepping in." A displeased look now darkens Mensa's expression, and you can tell he's not very happy at the apparent intervention. "For the past few days the citizens have been in heated debate, deciding that only one temple may truly lead the city... and tonight, the people will decide, once and for all."

"I cannot say for certain, Ikira. As practitioners of Saros, we believe in peace, order and rejuvenation... but we can't simply let the members of Rapa do as they please." Deeply frowning as he says this, you notice Mensa now looks the most serious he's looked yet. "I can't shake off this feeling... that things are going to take an extremely dark turn. The very existence of Lacuna will be at stake tonight, and with this division amongst us... I fear for the worst, my children."

Stroking his beard in deep, troubled silence, Mensa closes his eyes, at which Ikira beckons to you to go with her. Running along the marbled hallway, Ikira leads you into a junction in the temple where it leads on into three different areas.

"So... what do you think, Ben? Do you think that's why they asked us to bring our Pokémon?" she asks you. "Do we have to fight it out?... I don't think I'd like to fight anyone in Lacuna. Especially not Kiru; he's tough." The silver-haired girl pauses at this, though from her expression you can tell Kiru's supposed battle aptitude isn't quite why Ikira's uncomfortable with the thought of fighting him.

"If anything, maybe we should have some battle practice. There's an arena in the temple for practicing; the priests do say that battling is a time to pacify the heart for bonding with your Pokémon, and if we're battling tonight we could use the workout," suggests Ikira, brightening up. "I'm sure Debra and Medeo would benefit from the practice, and we could always heal them in the Healing Grounds later. What do you say?"

It seems whoever the Ben Ikira really knows is, he seems to be a perfect parallel to you in your time. For now, though, nothing else seems to be of much priority, and if Ikira's guess is true you might be needing all the battle experience you can get.

The Sphinx
Sending out your Nuzleaf to deal with this first of physical challenges, Watermelon wastes no time in applying the first half of his name. Circles of watery power start to form about him, creating series of Aqua Rings to soak him in recovery as the battle continues. Before he can proceed with his next move, however, Diglett comes bobbing through the sands, knocking into Watermelon's foot in a surprising tripping strike. Too Astonished to react, Watermelon topples over his brown lower limbs, falling to the sands with a soft but gritty thump.

"Diglett! Diglett!" Appearing pleased at its proverbial handiwork, Diglett begins to make happy noises before charging back in, Scratching Watermelon across the face, much to the Nuzleaf's irritation. Snarling, Watermelon starts charging Nature Power through his body, before slamming down onto the ground, drawing the sand's power to unleash a ferocious Earthquake through the field. Not having expected this turn of events, Diglett yelps as the gaiakinetic pulses echo through all eight inches of its small body, thoroughly shaking it to the core. As you try to regain your footing, not having immunity to Watermelon's attack, Diglett surprises you yet again as it pops down into the sand, leaving a hole as proof of its Dig maneuver -- at this point, Diglett could reappear anywhere, and you would have no way of knowing where it might appear; for certain, this might not be as easy a first confrontation as you might have supposed.

What will you do now?

Watermelon wasted no time, immediately covering himself with his Aqua Ring attack. As he prepared to shoot off a Razor Leaf attack the Diglett bobbed through the sand and knocked into Watermelon's foot, knocking the humanoid pokemon over due to him being Astonished. Watermelon came down quick and hard. Diglett let off a couple of happy cries before it charged towards Watermelon, Scratching him across the face.

A snarling Watermelon began to charge the energy of his Nature Power before slamming his hands into the ground. To both his and Karmas' surprise the attack turned int an Earthquake which appeared to have shaken Diglett nearly to its core. The attack ended up knocking Karmas off his feet, but the trainer still managed to keep his attention on the battle as the small Diglett popped underground.

"Okay Watermelon," started Karmas. "This is obviously a little tougher than we would have expected, but we can pull through still. The Diglett is obviously using a Dig attack so we need to counter it."

Karmas stood in thought for a couple of seconds while he tried to think of a plan. Dot tapped him on the shoulder and whispered into his ear.

"That's a great idea Dot!" exclaimed Karmas. "Okay Watermelon, start off by using Nature Power, then use Blizzard when it pops back up. Then try to finish it off with a Seed Bomb!"

Hayward
"Very well, Ben." His hand going to his shining beard once again, you watch as Mensa closes his eyes, his brow deeply furrowed in reminescing. "No one truly knows where Saros and Rapa came from, but legend has it that they were borne from the moon, after the planets and the world were formed."

"The moon?" Ikira asks, though from a glance in her direction you can tell out of her feigned interest that she's simply saying this as if on cue; unsurprising considering her experience with her father's tale.

"Yes, Ikira. Saros and Rapa represent the phases of the moon, when it is full, new or somewhere in between," nods Mensa with a smile. "As the moon ebbs and flows between its phases, so does the waters flowing through Lacuna flow. We have much to thank the moon for, and as a result, we likewise have much to thank Saros and Rapa for."

"But then, why are we even deciding who should lead the city of Lacuna?" questions Ikira, and this time you can tell she's genuinely curious, as are you. "Doesn't the legend say that both Saros and Rapa were responsible for Lacuna's prosperity?"

"As does the moon and tide follow their cycles, so do the blessings of the moon, dear child," Mensa explains. "Prosperity and disaster, darkness and light, the full moon and the new moon. None can exist without the existence of the other. However... in recent times, we have been experiencing more frequent disasters and cataclysms," frowns the priest. "Sandstorms, wild Pokémon onslaughts, even the Laos River has been flooding more frequently and strongly than it should be. We're not even in the flooding season yet." Thinking back to the verbal exchanges between Kiru and Ikira earlier, you recall that something along those lines certainly has been mentioned.

"The priority of a city's leaders is, regardless of what may come, to protect its people and safeguard their interests," sighs Mensa. "Unfortunately, ashamed as I am to admit it, we have not been able to do so for the past few weeks."

"Is that why..."

"You are correct, Ikira. Where we have failed, the practitioners of Rapa have been successfully predicting all these negative events. Usually we would be both shouldering the city's governance; specifically, they would be handling the markets and defence aspects, while we championed diplomacy and order... but since we have not been able to secure order, the temple of Rapa has been stepping in." A displeased look now darkens Mensa's expression, and you can tell he's not very happy at the apparent intervention. "For the past few days the citizens have been in heated debate, deciding that only one temple may truly lead the city... and tonight, the people will decide, once and for all."

"I cannot say for certain, Ikira. As practitioners of Saros, we believe in peace, order and rejuvenation... but we can't simply let the members of Rapa do as they please." Deeply frowning as he says this, you notice Mensa now looks the most serious he's looked yet. "I can't shake off this feeling... that things are going to take an extremely dark turn. The very existence of Lacuna will be at stake tonight, and with this division amongst us... I fear for the worst, my children."

Stroking his beard in deep, troubled silence, Mensa closes his eyes, at which Ikira beckons to you to go with her. Running along the marbled hallway, Ikira leads you into a junction in the temple where it leads on into three different areas.

"So... what do you think, Ben? Do you think that's why they asked us to bring our Pokémon?" she asks you. "Do we have to fight it out?... I don't think I'd like to fight anyone in Lacuna. Especially not Kiru; he's tough." The silver-haired girl pauses at this, though from her expression you can tell Kiru's supposed battle aptitude isn't quite why Ikira's uncomfortable with the thought of fighting him.

"If anything, maybe we should have some battle practice. There's an arena in the temple for practicing; the priests do say that battling is a time to pacify the heart for bonding with your Pokémon, and if we're battling tonight we could use the workout," suggests Ikira, brightening up. "I'm sure Debra and Medeo would benefit from the practice, and we could always heal them in the Healing Grounds later. What do you say?"

It seems whoever the Ben Ikira really knows is, he seems to be a perfect parallel to you in your time. For now, though, nothing else seems to be of much priority, and if Ikira's guess is true you might be needing all the battle experience you can get.

What will you do?

"Very well, Ben." Mensa replied, closing his eyes. Brow furrowed deeply in concentration, he stroked his beard and continued, "No one truly knows where Saros and Rapa came from, but legend has it that they were borne from the moon, after the planets and the world were formed."

"The moon?" asked Ikira. Ben threw a sideways glance in the silver-haired girl’s direction and noticed by the disinterested expression on her face that her comment had clearly been rehearsed.

"Yes, Ikira. Saros and Rapa represent the phases of the moon, when it is full, new or somewhere in between," Mensa nodded, smiling. "As the moon ebbs and flows between its phases, so does the waters flowing through Lacuna flow. We have much to thank the moon for, and as a result, we likewise have much to thank Saros and Rapa for."

"But then, why are we even deciding who should lead the city of Lacuna?" Ikira questioned. Once more, Ben quickly glanced at the teenager. Unlike before though, this time she appeared to be sincerely interested. "Doesn't the legend say that both Saros and Rapa were responsible for Lacuna's prosperity?"

"As does the moon and tide follow their cycles, so do the blessings of the moon, dear child," explained Mensa. "Prosperity and disaster, darkness and light, the full moon and the new moon. None can exist without the existence of the other. However... in recent times, we have been experiencing more frequent disasters and cataclysms," the priest frowned. "Sandstorms, wild Pokémon onslaughts, even the Laos River has been flooding more frequently and strongly than it should be. We're not even in the flooding season yet." Ben’s mind raced at the words of Ikira’s father. Clearly this was what Ikira and Kiru had been referring to in their debate earlier.

"The priority of a city's leaders is, regardless of what may come, to protect its people and safeguard their interests," Mensa sighed. "Unfortunately, ashamed as I am to admit it, we have not been able to do so for the past few weeks."

"Is that why..." Even as the silver-haired girl spoke, Ben guessed what her father’s answer would be.

"You are correct, Ikira. Where we have failed, the practitioners of Rapa have been successfully predicting all these negative events. Usually we would be both shouldering the city's governance; specifically, they would be handling the markets and defence aspects, while we championed diplomacy and order... but since we have not been able to secure order, the temple of Rapa has been stepping in." At these words, Ben noticed a look of grim displeasure cross the face of the wizened priest. Obviously, he was not in favor of the Rapa followers’ intervention, and Ben wondered what they had done, or were going to do, that was so upsetting. "For the past few days the citizens have been in heated debate, deciding that only one temple may truly lead the city... and tonight, the people will decide, once and for all."

"I see." Ikira responded. The silver-haired girl wore a troubled look as she stared absentmindedly off into the distance, and continued, "What do you think, Priest Mensa?"

"I cannot say for certain, Ikira. As practitioners of Saros, we believe in peace, order and rejuvenation... but we can't simply let the members of Rapa do as they please." Mensa said, frowning mightily. When he spoke again, Ben realized that the Priest was wearing the most solemn look he had yet seen. "I can't shake off this feeling... that things are going to take an extremely dark turn. The very existence of Lacuna will be at stake tonight, and with this division amongst us... I fear for the worst, my children."

Lost in thought, Mensa closed his eyes and contemplatively stroked his beard. Suddenly Ikira motioned to Ben to follow her, and set off down the marbled hallway at a jog. After a few moments, she stopped at the intersection of three passageways. Trotting up, Ben noticed that each way lead to a different area of the Temple.

"So... what do you think, Ben? Do you think that's why they asked us to bring our Pokémon?" Ikira asked. "Do we have to fight it out?... I don't think I'd like to fight anyone in Lacuna. Especially not Kiru; he's tough." Reading the look on her face, Ben could tell that Kiru’s battling ability wasn’t the real reason she didn’t want to fight him, and once again felt a twinge of guilt at having split up their friendship.

"If anything, maybe we should have some battle practice. There's an arena in the temple for practicing; the priests do say that battling is a time to pacify the heart for bonding with your Pokémon, and if we're battling tonight we could use the workout," Ikira suggested, cheering up. "I'm sure Debra and Medeo would benefit from the practice, and we could always heal them in the Healing Grounds later. What do you say?"

At the girl’s suggestion of working out, Medeo’s metallic Steel Ball suddenly began to wiggle back-and-forth excitedly in Ben’s fibre tote bag. The diminutive Meditite clearly wanted the chance to prove himself in the practice match against the silver-haired girl’s Pokemon. Ben grinned to himself, as he realized that at this point, Medeo was simply bored with being cooped up and would have welcomed any excuse to be liberated from his makeshift prison.

While the miniature, silver capture capsule continued to shake from side-to-side in an irritated fashion in his satchel, Ben dragged a hand through his short, brown hair, and considered their options. He now knew that the reason for the division in Lacuna had to do with the recent influx of natural disasters. The followers of Saros had not been able to adequately foresee the impending calamities. In response, the acolytes of Rapa had intervened. For a moment, he wondered if the practitioners of Rapa might be staging the disturbances in order to discredit the disciples of Saros, or gain clout in the settlement’s political realm. Only time would prove whether or not Ben’s hunch was true or not; in the meantime, all he could do was wait, and try to ready himself for whatever fate sent his way. Recalling the Priest’s grim proclamation that "the very existence of Lacuna will be at stake tonight…", he had guessed that a battle for the city was on the horizon. Like the silver-haired girl, he recognized the benefits that a bit of exercise would provide. Not only that, but he knew that Medeo was starting to get antsy.

As he noticed the look on the girl's face as she waited for him to make his decision, it seemed to Ben that whoever Ikira had mistaken him for, must be his perfect parallel. Ben knew that if he wanted to help Lacuna, he would have to continue to pretend to be this ancient doppleganger, so as not to draw an unnecessary attention to himself. Grinning at the silver-haired girl, he nodded his approval, finally answering, “A practice battle sounds great. Lead on.”

Food Guy
With Diglett stuck underground, Dot offers her advice for your subsequent battle decision, which you then relay to Watermelon in turn. Taking advantage of his opponent's status, Watermelon calls on Nature's Power to once again send an Earthquake rumbling through the sands, leaving you once again wobbling for balance as the groundbreaking force ripples through the room. A shrill screaming is heard from beneath the sands as your Nuzleaf performs his task, and soon after the quaking ceases Diglett comes Digging back up, jutting into Watermelon's foot and causing him to fall over. While your Pokémon picks himself up, you note that Diglett looks considerably much more shaken than ever; its brief trip beneath the sandy surface having proved twice as deadly for the mole Pokémon.

Wasting no time Watermelon draws in a huge breath, his internal systems working at the wind to turn it freezing cold, which the acorn humanoid blasts out in the form of a chilling Blizzard. As the snow and frost screams over the ground a thin layer of ice starts forming even as the attack makes brief contact, and the moment it washes over Diglett you hear the the little Ground-type give off another piteous squeal. When the attack has cleared you notice that Watermelon's technique has caused the sand to freeze over, locking Diglett in place. Desperately Diglett tries to send a Magnitude through the solidified water; unfortunately it ends up only ranking a 4 on the scale, and barely manages to crack its icy imprisonment. Being of the Grass-type Watermelon dismisses this earthly attack with a sniff before hocking up a storm of Seed Bombs to rain botanic pain onto Diglett, clods of dirt and sand flying up as the exploding orbs make their mark. A final, high-pitched yell echoes through the chamber, and when the battlefield has resumed normal visibility conditions you spot Diglett's battered form slinking down into the sands, from which it does not resurface. Level-up for Watermelon.

A twinge of remorse pulses softly through you for your onslaught on Diglett, but you still have far more challenging issues to attend to. With this in mind you continue towards the opposite passageway, moving onward to the next riddle. Observing your surroundings, you notice that this passage is much like the one Baltoy led you through, and before you realise it you find yourself in a room much like the one where you found Baltoy, where a Meditite sits in the lotus position.

"I see you have conquered the first riddle, in addition to the Sphinx's question," it says in a serene female voice. "That is most commendable... however, if you do not keep your mind focused and your wits sharp, you will most certainly fall. An understanding of the world, be it Pokémon or people, logic or tactics, is key to overcoming the challenges that await you. Everything in this world has its other, keeping our universe in perfect balance."

As she speaks, a group of ten orbs start gathering about Meditite, orbiting her form for a few moments before falling to the floor in front of you, forming ten stony discs with words written upon them.

"From my Hidden Power I have generated your next task... you must, from the words you see on the tiles, group them into pairs," instructs Meditite. "Be warned; if you were to make an error in your judgement, regardless of your magnitude of mistakes, you will be returned outside the Sphinx, and your journey rendered fruitless."

Picking up the discs, you notice that the series of phrases comprise the following: Amnesia, Double Team, Fake Tears, Growl, Iron Defence, Meditate, Rock Polish, Scary Face, Screech, Sweet Scent. What do you think the answer could be?

The Lost City of Lacuna[/center]

The Moon Temple

Hayward
"Alright! I knew you'd like the idea!" squeals Ikira, catching you by the hand and leading you through the left passageway, your footsteps echoing through the marble surfaces. For a moment you worry if Ikira's enthusiastic advances may be causing disruption, but even as the two of you make your way along you've not seen anyone else aside from some pillars and statues, as though standing guard over the establishment. Feline creatures of stone and glyphs of a beaked, moon-like creature gaze down at you imperiously, but even in their stony stares you feel a certain sense of kinship, as though their very presence emanated an aura of protection that could nullify all threats and negativity. An odd sense of peace and happiness soaks in your mind while Ikira continues to lead you through the Temple hallway.

"Well, here we are!" Ikira declares, prompting you to halt your dashing and look ahead. A large, circular hall stands in front of you, reaching up into a clear dome about sixty feet high through which the sunlight pours in. Opposite, a similar doorway leads towards another passageway, from which you can see a faint cyan aura.

"We can heal our Pokémon in the Healing Grounds, through that passage," Ikira explains. "But for now, let's get in place first."

Beckoning you to a spot nearer to the other hallway, Ikira stands at the equidistant point between the earlier doorway and the centre of the room. "We'll be able to use the entire room to battle, but we can't touch the dome... My father told me once of how it broke in a battle once, and it wasn't pretty," she remarks as you take your position. "Debra, let's do this!"

Flinging a PokéBall to the ground, Ikira smiles as the orb's contents materialise into a yellow fox-like creature padded with brown armour, in a seated position with its clawed limbs left lazily to its sides. "Aaaaabra..." she whispers.

"You make the first move, Ben!" calls Ikira. The ball's in your court now...

Hayward
"Alright! I knew you'd like the idea!" squeals Ikira, catching you by the hand and leading you through the left passageway, your footsteps echoing through the marble surfaces. For a moment you worry if Ikira's enthusiastic advances may be causing disruption, but even as the two of you make your way along you've not seen anyone else aside from some pillars and statues, as though standing guard over the establishment. Feline creatures of stone and glyphs of a beaked, moon-like creature gaze down at you imperiously, but even in their stony stares you feel a certain sense of kinship, as though their very presence emanated an aura of protection that could nullify all threats and negativity. An odd sense of peace and happiness soaks in your mind while Ikira continues to lead you through the Temple hallway.

"Well, here we are!" Ikira declares, prompting you to halt your dashing and look ahead. A large, circular hall stands in front of you, reaching up into a clear dome about sixty feet high through which the sunlight pours in. Opposite, a similar doorway leads towards another passageway, from which you can see a faint cyan aura.

"We can heal our Pok&#233;mon in the Healing Grounds, through that passage," Ikira explains. "But for now, let's get in place first."

Beckoning you to a spot nearer to the other hallway, Ikira stands at the equidistant point between the earlier doorway and the centre of the room. "We'll be able to use the entire room to battle, but we can't touch the dome... My father told me once of how it broke in a battle once, and it wasn't pretty," she remarks as you take your position. "Debra, let's do this!"

Flinging a Pok&#233;Ball to the ground, Ikira smiles as the orb's contents materialise into a yellow fox-like creature padded with brown armour, in a seated position with its clawed limbs left lazily to its sides. "Aaaaabra..." she whispers.

"You make the first move, Ben!" calls Ikira. The ball's in your court now...

"Alright! I knew you'd like the idea!" Ikira squealed, tightly clasping hold of Ben’s hand and half-dragging him down the marbled passageway to the left. The pounding of their footstrikes rang in Ben’s ears as the pair hurried down the hall, and Ben momentarily wondered if the silver-haired girl’s excitement hadn’t run away with her. Clearly an activity as ill-mannered as running in the hallways would draw frowns from any austere worshipper at the sacred Moon Temple. However, they didn't encounter a single soul as they continued on, and the natural peace and tranquility of the serene sanctuary settled on Ben. The teenage trainer let go of his concern and took the opportunity to marvel at the great carved-granite guardians and amazing architecture of the magnificent structure. He was glad he had chosen to come with Ikira to the Moon Temple. It almost felt to him as if he belonged here.

"Well, here we are!" declared Ikira suddenly, and Ben skidded to a halt, narrowly avoiding crashing into the back of the silver-haired girl. As his grey-green eyes surveyed the sunlit, circular arena he found himself in, he glanced at the transparent, domed ceiling enclosing and gaped at its sheer enormity.

"We can heal our Pok&#233;mon in the Healing Grounds, through that passage," explained Ikira, referring to the doorway on the opposite side of the battlefield. Glancing in the indicated direction, Ben noticed a dim azure glow faintly illuminating the doorway, and nodded. Ikira continued, "But for now, let's get in place first."

Ikira chose a spot about a quarter of the way across the arena, and motioned for Ben to do the same, explaining, "We'll be able to use the entire room to battle, but we can't touch the dome... My father told me once of how it broke in a battle once, and it wasn't pretty.” As Ben positioned himself, she flung a Pokeball to the ground, exclaiming, "Debra, let's do this!" The yellow, vulpine-like Psi Pokemon instantly appeared on the battlefield, softly cooing, ”Aaaaabra…”. Ikira smiled calling out, "You make the first move, Ben!"

Ben reached into the fibre tote bag slung across his shoulder and grabbed the metallic Steel Ball containing the Meditite Medeo. The customized capture capsule rocked back-and-forth excitedly in his palm, as he withdrew his hand. Pressing the round trigger switch in the center of the silver sphere, a brilliant scarlet light appeared, followed by a small Meditite. The moment that the Meditite Medeo emerged from his temporary prison, he made an exaggerated show of reaching over to touch his toes, running in place, and doing jumping jacks. Unimpressed by this ostentatious display, Ben calmly waited for his tiny partner to finish his theatrics before issuing instructions. “Ready, mate? Ikira’s going to let us make the first move, so hit Debra with a FAKE OUT attack. While she’s stunned, hit her with a THUNDERPUNCH.” The Yoga Pokemon nodded his understanding and Ben continued, “Look sharp, keep your cool, and be ready to defend with DETECT.” Medeo fixed his steely gaze on the lethargic Abra and adopted the Savage Butterfree Antagonism offensive kung fu stance, readying himself for the first round…

Hayward
Assuming his battle stance, Medeo is quick to make use of the priority advantage he has been given. Darting forward in a series of fast steps, Medeo brings his round palms back before swinging them into Debra's face in an attempt to Fake her Out, but the Meditite is soon surprised as Debra throws herself forward, slamming into Medeo's forehead in a shimmering Zen Headbutt.

As you take in the implications of this revelation, Medeo dives back in time before the rainbow-coloured laser fired from Debra's claws can make contact; the beam of insectoid potential flickering towards you and dissipating before it comes within range. Having managed to Detect the attack, Medeo gets back to his feet and charges towards Debra once more, bringing down a blistering Thunderpunch to Debra's noggin. The tables are briefly turned as Debra wobbles on her feet, trying her best to regain balance and tripping back several steps in quick succession. With their commands both exhausted for the moment both Psychic humanoids glare at each other; battle and victory taking priority over any sentiments that might have existed. While Debra's attack was stronger, Medeo's naturally boosted Pure Power lent a much needed aid in dealing damage, though for now both of them look fit enough to continue for quite a while.

"Not bad at all, Ben, but it's not going to be that easy!" yells Ikira with a mischevous grin on her face. "Debra, go for Energy Ball, and Ice Punch! Teleport if Medeo comes for you!"

Hayward
Assuming his battle stance, Medeo is quick to make use of the priority advantage he has been given. Darting forward in a series of fast steps, Medeo brings his round palms back before swinging them into Debra's face in an attempt to Fake her Out, but the Meditite is soon surprised as Debra throws herself forward, slamming into Medeo's forehead in a shimmering Zen Headbutt.

As you take in the implications of this revelation, Medeo dives back in time before the rainbow-coloured laser fired from Debra's claws can make contact; the beam of insectoid potential flickering towards you and dissipating before it comes within range. Having managed to Detect the attack, Medeo gets back to his feet and charges towards Debra once more, bringing down a blistering Thunderpunch to Debra's noggin. The tables are briefly turned as Debra wobbles on her feet, trying her best to regain balance and tripping back several steps in quick succession. With their commands both exhausted for the moment both Psychic humanoids glare at each other; battle and victory taking priority over any sentiments that might have existed. While Debra's attack was stronger, Medeo's naturally boosted Pure Power lent a much needed aid in dealing damage, though for now both of them look fit enough to continue for quite a while.

"Not bad at all, Ben, but it's not going to be that easy!" yells Ikira with a mischevous grin on her face. "Debra, go for Energy Ball, and Ice Punch! Teleport if Medeo comes for you!"

On a sunlit battlefield, in the immense, domed Moon Temple arena, the Meditite Medeo received his isntructions with a nod and eagerly scampered forward, fully prepared to deliver the first attack. The trainer Benjamin Hale watched as Medeo misleadingly swung his tiny palms backwards, then as quick as a shockwave, brought them around again, connecting with Debra’s face, trying to Fake Out the Abra. Ben bolted in shock as Ikira’s partner, rather than being stunned by the sneaky strike, retaliated immediately with a teeth-rattling Zen Headbutt.

“You’re forgetting, Ben,” Ikira sang out condescendingly, as Ben watched Medeo massage his throbbing forehead. He could tell Ikira was surprised he had neglected to take such a basic factor as Abra’s Natural Ability into account when strategising. “Debra’s Inner Focus prevents any flinching! Debra, Signal Beam!” the silver-haired girl exclaimed. Detecting the attack, Medeo instinctively somersaulted backwards, narrowly avoiding the multi-hued energy blast as it whistled past and dissolved just metres away from Ben’s position. Ben let out a grateful sigh as the Signal Beam failed to find its mark, and silently berated himself for not being more thorough in his preparations. He hadn’t been careful, and it had almost cost them; he’d have to be more cautious in the future.

Medeo was on his feet in an instant and threw a jaundicied look over his tiny shoulder at Ben. Grinning sheepishly, the teenage trainer shrugged and apologized, “Sorry, mate. Guess I forgot about Inner Focus! We can still win this though, just keep your cool!” Medeo shook his onion-shaped head from side-to-side in disgust at his trainer’s rookie mistake, then turned his steely gaze to the vulpine Abra once again. Channeling his annoyance into an energy he could use, the little Yoga Pokemon hurtled headlong at Debra as a gleaming, electric aura surrounded his clenched right hand.

Ben watched with astonishment as the determined Meditite delivered a devastating Thunderpunch to the brow of the Psi Pokemon with all the force of a charging Tauros, causing it to stagger backwards several paces. “That was brilliant, mate!” Ben praised his diminutive companion. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, Medeo let out an exuberant shout of “Medii!” in response.

"Not bad at all, Ben, but it's not going to be that easy!" Ikira yelled, smiling mischievously. "Debra, go for Energy Ball, and Ice Punch! Teleport if Medeo comes for you!"

“Look sharp now, mate!” Ben cautioned the small Meditite. “Surround yourself with an AQUA RING right away, then MEDITATE and BIDE your time while Debra attacks!” Eyes still blazing fervently at Debra, Medeo nodded his understanding and prepared himself for the next round of battle…

Hayward
The both of you quickly issuing your commands, Debra and Medeo move on to the next phases of their combat sequences. As Debra begins to focus botanic power between her hands, Medeo concentrates on tapping into what aquatic ability he has. Blips of water energy begin to surround his lithe form, glowing with a similar cyan glow like you saw from the passageway leading to the Healing Grounds. As they orbit about Medeo, the Aquatic pulses soon flow into Rings, bathing Medeo in their gentle illuminescence. This, however, doesn't prepare Medeo for the Energy Ball Debra hurls subsequently, the Grass-typed explosive blowing up in Medeo's face. Rubbing his bruised complexion, Medeo sits on the floor in a lotus position to Meditate for rounds to come, focusing his mental powers to boost those of his muscles.

Sensing her chance, Debra begins charging, her fist brimming with the power of Ice, and just as Medeo completes his reflection on world affairs a freezing Punch comes his way, knocking him flat on his back. Feeling the sting of the ice fresh on his unseen nose, Medeo unhappily resumes his yoga stance in order to Bide through future attacks. Having no more opposing techniques to absorb, Medeo simply sits where he is, the aura of Bide briefly overridden for a moment as the Aqua Ring does its work, returning an appreciated fraction of Medeo's health back to him. Having taken no damage, Debra is in noticeably better shape, but Medeo's investments this round may turn the tables around.

Stark
"It's him, Stark!" cries Carolina again, clinging to you like a daughter to her mother. "He's been following me wherever I go for the past few months, and I don't know why! You've got to stop him!"

"So you've got another unwitting victim under your belt, have you, Carolina?" Lawrence growls as he frowns. "And it didn't take long for you to convince him either, I see. The guy's smitten with you, and completely immune to reason."

"That's enough, Carolina." From out of nowhere Lawrence produces a PokéBall in his right hand, matching your own prepared orb in your palm. "You won't be getting away this time. Once I've dealt with him, you're next. There won't be any escape for you."

"We'll see about that!" laughs Carolina with much gaiety, and you feel her press against your back; her delicate fingers briefly brushing along your waist.

"Raticate, stand by!" Lawrence declares, flinging his containment sphere to the ground to reveal his selection: a brown-furred rodent on its hind legs, its whiskers bristling aggressively and its alarmingly large buck teeth clacking together, glaring at you all the while. Looks like your questions haven't been answered, and won't be for a while; Pokémon battle now being the only viable method of bringing any message across to anyone relevant.

What will you do?

For the first time since meeting her, Stark felt as if he was being used. Lawrence's words screaming out over Carolina's subtle and sensual use of body and intonation had him wondering if he were merely a puppet whose strings would be cut the moment he was no longer useful. Still, better to find the answers with Carolina than with an unstable Lawrence. Afterall, the other man's threats and ultimatums left Stark little choice. It was fight or lose everything and personally, he wasn't much into giving up things he had worked hard for. In this case Carolina's friendship.

"A giant rat huh?" Stark commented, "Seems appropriate enough. They say there are some trainers that very closely resemble their partners. Of course if I were to say that about you, I'd be insulting your Raticate."

It was risky. He didn't know how strong Lawrence or his Raticate were, but the way he saw it, if he infuriated them enough they might make a mistake early and they could end the violence before it spiraled out of control and someone got seriously hurt.

"Alright Houndour let's do it," the red coated trainer said as he tossed the pokeball in his hand out onto the ground only to watch it explode into a flash of brilliant light revealing a black and brown puppy growling at the Raticate in front of her.

Stark stood up straight and offered his hand to Carolina giving her a quick warm smile and nod to know it would be okay to take it. The young woman's touch had already had his heart pounding. Having her by his side could only help reinforce his confidence. This wasn't just a trainer battle. This was a battle full of consequences if they lost. There was no do-over after some more training. The future of a girl depended on the outcome of this battle.

"Houndour use Smog and follow it up with a Fire Spin!" Stark shouted to his partner before turning to Carolina and softly adding, "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

Stark
With no turning back for any of you, you quickly issue your orders to Houndour, who sneers at Raticate disdainfully in spite of the difference in size as Carolina giggles behind you. Lawrence's lip appears to curl up a little at your sheer defiance, but whether it's over your remark or his determination you can't quite tell, nor are you too concerned about it. Taking a deep breath Houndour releases a cloud of thick, toxic Smog from her mouth, which wafts menacingly over to Raticate while the Dark canine watches smugly. For a moment as Lawrence and Raticate remain silent you almost expect this encounter to be a walkover, but this hypothesis is soon disproved.

"Raticate, use Swords Dance!" declares Lawrence, at which the whiskered mouse stands on one feet, spinning upon the spot as gracefully as a buck-toothed ball of fur can manage. Pushed apart by the miniature tornado, the gas cloud dissipates like dust mites fed through a paper shredder until its entirety has dissolved into the troposphere. "And Hyper Fang!"

"Rrrrraticate!" Launching itself at Houndour, you wince as Raticate nearly literally takes a piece out of your Pokémon, its large fangs ramming deep into her chest. In retaliation, Houndour makes use of the close range to launch a point-blank Fire Spin, catching the offensive rat in a vortex of towering flame. Screeching as it falls back, Raticate tries to roll about to put the fire out without much success, and you briefly hear Caroline coo in wonder at your Houndour's apparent strength.

"Keep calm, Raticate!" Lawrence orders. "Use Flame Wheel to counter!"

"RrrrraaaaAAAT!" Even as it squeaks loudly above the raging fire, you hear Raticate stop in its interjection, prompting you to ponder over what Lawrence could be planning this time. The answer comes as a surprise as the bottom of the inferno around Raticate suddenly gives way, unravelling from the foot like a fraying rope and running to the top, revealing Raticate spinning on the spot while surrounded in its own fire. A moment of thought makes you realise that Raticate must have countered Houndour's attack by working against the Fire Spin in the opposite direction, thus wearing out the technique.

"Raticate, take that Houndour down with a Quick Attack! Then Cut it down to size!" calls Lawrence as Raticate stops its Flame Wheel and recovers, glaring at Houndour with a murderous gleam in its eye. Now things have gone personal, it seems...

*OOC: Hmmm… Not sure how I missed this yesterday… Sorry Shadow, my reply would have been up a day ago, had I seen it then… Oh well, thanks for all the speedy updates!

Originally Posted by Shadowshocker

The Lost City of Lacuna

The Moon Temple

Hayward
The both of you quickly issuing your commands, Debra and Medeo move on to the next phases of their combat sequences. As Debra begins to focus botanic power between her hands, Medeo concentrates on tapping into what aquatic ability he has. Blips of water energy begin to surround his lithe form, glowing with a similar cyan glow like you saw from the passageway leading to the Healing Grounds. As they orbit about Medeo, the Aquatic pulses soon flow into Rings, bathing Medeo in their gentle illuminescence. This, however, doesn't prepare Medeo for the Energy Ball Debra hurls subsequently, the Grass-typed explosive blowing up in Medeo's face. Rubbing his bruised complexion, Medeo sits on the floor in a lotus position to Meditate for rounds to come, focusing his mental powers to boost those of his muscles.

Sensing her chance, Debra begins charging, her fist brimming with the power of Ice, and just as Medeo completes his reflection on world affairs a freezing Punch comes his way, knocking him flat on his back. Feeling the sting of the ice fresh on his unseen nose, Medeo unhappily resumes his yoga stance in order to Bide through future attacks. Having no more opposing techniques to absorb, Medeo simply sits where he is, the aura of Bide briefly overridden for a moment as the Aqua Ring does its work, returning an appreciated fraction of Medeo's health back to him. Having taken no damage, Debra is in noticeably better shape, but Medeo's investments this round may turn the tables around.

What will you do?

On a sunlit battlefield in the Moon Temple’s cavernous coliseum, Ben watched as his tiny partner closed his eyes and reached out to their surroundings with his highly-attuned senses. In an effort to provide himself with a stable source of health replenishment for the remainder of battle, Medeo summoned the water molecules from out of the surrounding atmosphere. The microscopic droplets of water encircled the Yoga Pokemon’s thin frame in a cyan halo, condensing into liquid form. While Medeo was preparing, Ikira’s Abra Debra, fired off a Ball of floral-infused Energy that exploded violently in the small Meditite’s face. Wincing in pain, Medeo rubbed his throbbing, onion-shaped head and eased himself to the ground, adopting the Meditation pose known as the Lotad Position.

Ben watched as Debra spied Medeo shut his eyes and enter a state of quiet contemplation. A frosty aura materialised around the little Abra’s clenched hand as she hurtled headlong towards the Meditating Meditite with a speed that betrayed her species’ characteristic sluggishness. Medeo’s eyes snapped open just in time to see the incoming Ice Punch Debra delivered to his face. As the powerful strike hit its mark, Medeo was forcibly thrown to the ground. Grimacing in pain, the unlucky Meditite sat up glumly, awaiting any other attacks the Abra might have planned. But no further onslaught ever came. Taking advantage of the momentary lapse in fighting, Medeo gratefully allowed the therapeutic benefits of the Aqua Ring to slightly soothe his aching injuries.

Seeing the doleful look on his diminutive companion’s face, Ben offered some encouragement. “We can still win, mate! Just keep your cool.” Dragging a hand through his short brown hair, he thought hard to come up with a strategy. Things hadn’t gone how he planned and Debra was clearly in better shape. Hopefully the preparations they had made this round would set them up for the future ones. After a moment of further consideration, Ben issued his instructions. “Let Debra make the first move this time, mate - brace yourself and take one more offensive attack! Unleash your stored energy, then hit her with a triple DRAIN PUNCH!”

Hayward
Unable to move in his state of biding, Medeo can do little more than acknowledge your commands and brace himself for the pain sure to come. At the same time, Ikira frowns in thought at your Meditite's current situation.

"If we attack Medeo, we'll take twice the damage we deal to him. But if we don't attack, we'll just be wasting time!" she murmurs to herself in deliberation, before snapping her fingers. "We need to take Medeo out before he has the chance to release his Bide, Debra! Go for Iron Tail, then Shadow Ball!"

"Aaaaabra." Fully aware of what her mistress is saying, Debra jumps forward in an agile somersault, her tail gaining the texture, appearance and tenacity of steel, bringing it down onto Medeo who can only grunt at the inflicted damage; his biding aura glowing with noticeably greater intensity. Taking a few steps back to leave a wide enough berth, Debra proceeds to pull some shadows together into a tight orb form, and as it grows steadily larger you begin to worry for Medeo and if he might be able to take the attack. By the point her Shadow Ball has grown to a diameter about three-fifths her height, Debra tosses the chaos bomb at Medeo, albeit a little shakily, but the attack makes its mark in the end, swallowing up the Meditate Pokémon in an explosion of ghostly power. Your eyes gape as Medeo is clouded in a shroud of dark fog, and even Ikira and Debra almost look concerned that they may have gone overboard.

The answer arrives as the necromantic mist alleviates, revealing Medeo surrounded in a crimson glow now almost blinding to look at. Rising to his feet, Medeo glares at the heavily shocked Ikira and Debra, before releasing the aura in the form of a blistering laser. A piercing searing noise is heard as the Bide slams into Debra full-bodiedly, and against the sounds of battle you hear Ikira give a shrill cry of terror at Debra undergoing twice the agony Medeo had to go through. Even as she lies painfully on the hall floor, Medeo doesn't let up on his attacks, jumping in quickly to deal Drain Punch after Drain Punch onto Debra; the Abra's natural resistance offset by Medeo's pure strength and amplified offensive power. With a third green glowing knuckle sandwich, Medeo sends Debra skidding across the marble to Ikira's feet, at which the girl gently picks up the Psi Pokémon. Wounds and bruises are distinct on both your Pokémon, but with the equaliser round Medeo has had it's fair to say that Medeo's got a considerable lead, backed up by the restored health.

"Debra? Are you alright?" whispers Ikira. "Can you go on?"

"Aaaaa..." Stroking her mistress' arm softly with her paw, Debra gives what appears to be a nod.

"Okay. If you're sure..." Placing her Pokémon on the ground in standing position, Ikira looks at you with a determined smile on her face. "That was strong, Ben. I didn't know Medeo could use Drain Punch! In fact... I think we'll borrow it for a while if you don't mind, hee hee! Debra, Mimic Medeo's Drain Punch, then use it twice on him!"

Hayward
Unable to move in his state of biding, Medeo can do little more than acknowledge your commands and brace himself for the pain sure to come. At the same time, Ikira frowns in thought at your Meditite's current situation.

"If we attack Medeo, we'll take twice the damage we deal to him. But if we don't attack, we'll just be wasting time!" she murmurs to herself in deliberation, before snapping her fingers. "We need to take Medeo out before he has the chance to release his Bide, Debra! Go for Iron Tail, then Shadow Ball!"

"Aaaaabra." Fully aware of what her mistress is saying, Debra jumps forward in an agile somersault, her tail gaining the texture, appearance and tenacity of steel, bringing it down onto Medeo who can only grunt at the inflicted damage; his biding aura glowing with noticeably greater intensity. Taking a few steps back to leave a wide enough berth, Debra proceeds to pull some shadows together into a tight orb form, and as it grows steadily larger you begin to worry for Medeo and if he might be able to take the attack. By the point her Shadow Ball has grown to a diameter about three-fifths her height, Debra tosses the chaos bomb at Medeo, albeit a little shakily, but the attack makes its mark in the end, swallowing up the Meditate Pokémon in an explosion of ghostly power. Your eyes gape as Medeo is clouded in a shroud of dark fog, and even Ikira and Debra almost look concerned that they may have gone overboard.

The answer arrives as the necromantic mist alleviates, revealing Medeo surrounded in a crimson glow now almost blinding to look at. Rising to his feet, Medeo glares at the heavily shocked Ikira and Debra, before releasing the aura in the form of a blistering laser. A piercing searing noise is heard as the Bide slams into Debra full-bodiedly, and against the sounds of battle you hear Ikira give a shrill cry of terror at Debra undergoing twice the agony Medeo had to go through. Even as she lies painfully on the hall floor, Medeo doesn't let up on his attacks, jumping in quickly to deal Drain Punch after Drain Punch onto Debra; the Abra's natural resistance offset by Medeo's pure strength and amplified offensive power. With a third green glowing knuckle sandwich, Medeo sends Debra skidding across the marble to Ikira's feet, at which the girl gently picks up the Psi Pokémon. Wounds and bruises are distinct on both your Pokémon, but with the equaliser round Medeo has had it's fair to say that Medeo's got a considerable lead, backed up by the restored health.

"Debra? Are you alright?" whispers Ikira. "Can you go on?"

"Aaaaa..." Stroking her mistress' arm softly with her paw, Debra gives what appears to be a nod.

"Okay. If you're sure..." Placing her Pokémon on the ground in standing position, Ikira looks at you with a determined smile on her face. "That was strong, Ben. I didn't know Medeo could use Drain Punch! In fact... I think we'll borrow it for a while if you don't mind, hee hee! Debra, Mimic Medeo's Drain Punch, then use it twice on him!"

Resigning himself to the fact that he was in for another round of pain, the Meditite Medeo nodded resolutely at Ben’s instruction to stay patient and called upon his extensive psychic training to quiet his restless spirit.

"If we attack Medeo, we'll take twice the damage we deal to him. But if we don't attack, we'll just be wasting time!" Ikira murmured, frowning. After a moment of contemplation she snapped her fingers and relayed her next orders to the Abra Debra. "We need to take Medeo out before he has the chance to release his Bide, Debra! Go for Iron Tail, then Shadow Ball!"

"Aaaaabra," the little Abra agreed, moving to attack. Deftly flipping, Debra dealt Medeo a harsh blow with her Tail, stiffened to hit with the force of solid Iron. Ben winced as his diminutive companion absorbed the full brunt of Debra’s onslaught head-on. Surrounded by a faint crimson aura, Medeo grunted painfully, but continued Biding his time as the golden Psi Pokemon retreated to safety and fired a Ball of ethereal energy at him that exploded violently on impact. Gaping, Ben watched as his tiny friend was engulfed in the swirling, Shadowy aftermath. On the other side of the battlefield, Debra and Ikira looked on, faces full of worry.

After a moment, the ghostly cloud dissipated, and Ben bolted in surprise to see that the brightness of the glow emanating from Medeo earlier had grown considerably in intensity. Unable to look directly at the brilliantly shining Meditite, Ben shielded his grey-green eyes and momentarily averted his gaze. Suddenly Medeo rose, glaring at Debra and Ikira. He slowly extended his arm, hand upturned, palm facing out, and released his stored energy. The retaliatory blast rocketed across the arena, striking the golden psychic-type squarely. Debra fell to the ground and Ikira let out an agonized wail. A greenish glow surrounded Medeo’s clenched fist as he hurried over to the prone Abra and dealt it a trio of pummeling blows. The last punch he delivered sent Debra sliding across the tiled ground, and she finally came to rest at Ikira’s feet. The silver-haired girl tenderly picked up her wounded Pokemon, lovingly cradling it in her arms.

While Ikira checked on Debra’s status, Ben turned to his own diminutive companion. Covered in bruises and breathing heavily, the small Meditite gently massaged his aching, onion-shaped head. Ben let out a grateful sigh, thankful that Medeo’s Drain Punch barrage had done the trick; they were in better shape than Debra now. Suddenly Ben glimpsed a slight smile of self-satisfaction cross the Yoga Pokemon’s tiny lips. Medeo had given a good account of himself, and he knew it; he had kept his cool despite the fierce beating the Abra had given him. Pride welled within Ben as he thought of how disciplined the usually reckless Meditite had been. “Great job, mate!” he praised the adamant little fighter. “But don’t get cocky. We haven’t won yet.”

The silver-haired girl regarded Ben with a determined look and smiled. "That was strong, Ben. I didn't know Medeo could use Drain Punch! In fact... I think we'll borrow it for a while if you don't mind, hee hee! Debra, Mimic Medeo's Drain Punch, then use it twice on him!"

As he heard Ikira’s commands, Ben dragged a hand through his short brown hair and thought hard to come up with a plan. After three rounds of Medeo getting pounded on, Ben wasn’t about to relinquish their slight lead. They would have to be careful. “Look sharp, mate,” he cautioned his tiny partner. Medeo instinctively adopted the Heavenly Dragonite Reistance kung fu stance, and Ben continued, “Time to defend now. Debra’s going to Mimic your Drain Punch technique, so try to DETECT her first attack and dodge, then PROTECT yourself from the second one. Keep your cool and hit her with a FIRE PUNCH. Let’s try to finish things off!” Medeo nodded his understanding. With his steely gaze still fixed on Debra, he quickly prepared himself for the next round…

Food Guy
With Diglett stuck underground, Dot offers her advice for your subsequent battle decision, which you then relay to Watermelon in turn. Taking advantage of his opponent's status, Watermelon calls on Nature's Power to once again send an Earthquake rumbling through the sands, leaving you once again wobbling for balance as the groundbreaking force ripples through the room. A shrill screaming is heard from beneath the sands as your Nuzleaf performs his task, and soon after the quaking ceases Diglett comes Digging back up, jutting into Watermelon's foot and causing him to fall over. While your Pokémon picks himself up, you note that Diglett looks considerably much more shaken than ever; its brief trip beneath the sandy surface having proved twice as deadly for the mole Pokémon.

Wasting no time Watermelon draws in a huge breath, his internal systems working at the wind to turn it freezing cold, which the acorn humanoid blasts out in the form of a chilling Blizzard. As the snow and frost screams over the ground a thin layer of ice starts forming even as the attack makes brief contact, and the moment it washes over Diglett you hear the the little Ground-type give off another piteous squeal. When the attack has cleared you notice that Watermelon's technique has caused the sand to freeze over, locking Diglett in place. Desperately Diglett tries to send a Magnitude through the solidified water; unfortunately it ends up only ranking a 4 on the scale, and barely manages to crack its icy imprisonment. Being of the Grass-type Watermelon dismisses this earthly attack with a sniff before hocking up a storm of Seed Bombs to rain botanic pain onto Diglett, clods of dirt and sand flying up as the exploding orbs make their mark. A final, high-pitched yell echoes through the chamber, and when the battlefield has resumed normal visibility conditions you spot Diglett's battered form slinking down into the sands, from which it does not resurface. Level-up for Watermelon.

A twinge of remorse pulses softly through you for your onslaught on Diglett, but you still have far more challenging issues to attend to. With this in mind you continue towards the opposite passageway, moving onward to the next riddle. Observing your surroundings, you notice that this passage is much like the one Baltoy led you through, and before you realise it you find yourself in a room much like the one where you found Baltoy, where a Meditite sits in the lotus position.

"I see you have conquered the first riddle, in addition to the Sphinx's question," it says in a serene female voice. "That is most commendable... however, if you do not keep your mind focused and your wits sharp, you will most certainly fall. An understanding of the world, be it Pokémon or people, logic or tactics, is key to overcoming the challenges that await you. Everything in this world has its other, keeping our universe in perfect balance."

As she speaks, a group of ten orbs start gathering about Meditite, orbiting her form for a few moments before falling to the floor in front of you, forming ten stony discs with words written upon them.

"From my Hidden Power I have generated your next task... you must, from the words you see on the tiles, group them into pairs," instructs Meditite. "Be warned; if you were to make an error in your judgement, regardless of your magnitude of mistakes, you will be returned outside the Sphinx, and your journey rendered fruitless."

Picking up the discs, you notice that the series of phrases comprise the following: Amnesia, Double Team, Fake Tears, Growl, Iron Defence, Meditate, Rock Polish, Scary Face, Screech, Sweet Scent. What do you think the answer could be?

As the Diglett was underground Watermelon harnessed the energy of his Nature Power and unleashed an Earthquake. As the attack was executed Karmas could hear a shrill scream coming from beneath the sands, and as soon as Watermelon had finished the Diglett rose from the sand, using its Dig attack on Watermelon's foot, once again tripping him. As Watermelon pushed himself back up Karmas noticed that the Diglett looked very shaken up.

With no hesitation Watermelon blew out a huge Blizzard at Diglett. The attack made a layer of ice form on the floor of the room, causing Diglett to get locked into place. The desperate mole pokemon attempted to send a Magnitude through the ice, but it only reached a four and barely even cracked the ice. The attack didn't even phase Watermelon, who then hocked up a storm of Seed Bombs. They slammed into Diglett, raising clods of dirt and sand as they hit the pokemon. There was a high-pitched yell and then the dirt and sand cleared. Once it had cleared Karmas saw the battered Diglett slink down into the sand.

Karmas felt sad for the Diglett but he had much more pressing issues at hand. With that thought in his mind the trainer continued towards the passageway in front of him, ready for the next riddle. As Karmas walked down the passageway he noticed that it looked a lot like the one that he walked down previously. Before he knew it Karmas found himself in a room similar to the one with Baltoy in it, except this one had a Meditite in it.

"I see you have conquered the first riddle, in addition to the Sphinx's question," it said in a serene female voice. "That is most commendable... however, if you do not keep your mind focused and your wits sharp, you will most certainly fall. An understanding of the world, be it Pokémon or people, logic or tactics, is key to overcoming the challenges that await you. Everything in this world has its other, keeping our universe in perfect balance."

As she spoke, a group of ten orbs start gathering about Meditite, orbiting her form for a few moments before they fell to the floor in front of Karmas, forming ten stony discs with words written upon them.

"From my Hidden Power I have generated your next task... you must, from the words you see on the tiles, group them into pairs," instructed Meditite. "Be warned; if you were to make an error in your judgment, regardless of your magnitude of mistakes, you will be returned outside the Sphinx, and your journey rendered fruitless."

Hayward
With victory nearly in sight and a slim line between it and losing, you declare your orders to what you believe is likely the final commands you'll need to give for this match. As Debra's eyes glint intuitively while she taps the power of her short-term memory to Mimic Medeo's attack, the Meditite in question positions himself to prepare for the coming attack. Sure enough Debra comes charging, her fist glowing green with the power of her briefly mastered Drain Punch, only for Medeo's eyes to glow in time, allowing him to Detect the attack and step to the side before it can connect.

Mildly annoyed as her attack fades, Debra brings her other hand up for a second Drain Punch, recharging the chartreuse parasitic power before bringing it forward, just in time to clash with Medeo's Protective barrier. Somewhat furiously, Debra pushes against Medeo's energy screen, at which Medeo reciprocates by pushing her backwards as well; both Pokémon staking all their strength the show of power. Eventually, however, Medeo flings Debra back with a upward heave of his arms, causing Debra to fall to her back and her technique to dissipate. As she hits the ground, Medeo releases his shield before lunging forward himself with a fistful of Fire. The moment the Punch strikes Debra by her cheek the Abra gives a drawn, shrill cry, and she completely collapses, in no condition to continue. Level up for Medeo.

As you move over to check on Medeo, you notice that Ikira has done the same thing, going up to Debra's limp form and gently cradling Debra in her arms with a doleful look on her face you can't help but feel sorry for. After noting Medeo's battered but otherwise conscious and healthy state, you look over to Ikira to see if she's alright, but she returns your gaze with a smiling one of her own.

"You gave it your all, didn't you Ben?" she says. "You've become so strong... you're not the weak Ben I used to know. I've got a lot to learn from you... and Debra, too." Lifting up Debra like a baby, Ikira nods towards the Healing Grounds. "It's time we prepared for tonight," notes the girl, and as she walks forward you recall Medeo to his Steel Ball so he needn't expend energy walking, before following Ikira into the cyan passageway. Going about a gradually curving path, you soon find yourself in another circular room, this one about double the size of a Lacunan mud house. In the centre of the chamber lies a pool of twenty metres in diameter, displaying a fountain in the shape of a graceful, crescent Pokémon you can't quite identify. Softly Ikira brings Debra to the edge of the fountain and places her at the water's edge in a sitting position, keeping her head above water. Releasing Medeo you proceed to follow Ikira's lead, and for a while the both of you watch on as the two Psychic humanoid Pokémon soak in the healing glow.

"...That's odd," remarks Ikira after a while. "Their injuries don't seem to be alleviating... look, you can still see where Medeo hit her with the Fire Punch," she points while frowning.

"Ben! Ikira!" The sound of Priest Mensa's voice wafts in behind you, and soon enough he graces you with his presence. "Ah, here you are. Our supporters have gathered, and the hour is soon upon us. We must gather, children..."

"What? That's impossible!" Quickly going over to your Pokémon, Mensa makes note of your Pokémon's conditions. "How long have they been exposed?"

"For about five minutes, Priest Mensa."

"Five minutes?" Deeply frowning Mensa strokes his chin in confused thought. "That certainly is troubling, to say the least. At your Pokémon's level, it should have taken less than a minute for their wounds to become healed... I presume you trained in the Battling Hall?"

"Yes, Priest Mensa."

"Hmmm." Continuing to ponder for a few more moments, Mensa heaves a sigh as he offers his answer. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss for ideas, children. This is the first time something like this has happened, and yet the Healing Waters are continuing to glow... I can't imagine what could possibly have happened. Even if a Rapa practitioner should attempt to sabotage the Healing Fountain, it simply wouldn't be within their capabilities... This is an extremely serious matter, indeed."

"What can we do, Priest Mensa?"

"I'm afraid there is nothing we can presently do, my child. Our presence is required in the City's Forum, and we can't delay attending the congregation. The future of Lacuna is going to be decided tonight, and while this would certainly warrant the concern of our leaders, I'm afraid the agenda tonight cannot be altered." Wringing his hands, Mensa places a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder. "But fret not, Ikira. As she stands guard over the fountain, surely Saros watches over us. Whatever happens, she will certainly see us through... Now, you must retreat your Pokémon, and join the rest of our group."

***

As it turns out, the number of supporters certainly come in no small number; about two hundred citizens at your estimate, with you, Ikira and Mensa included. Together you walk along the roads of Lacuna, all united by similar clothing and thoughts of loyalty in your mind -- well, perhaps excepting you. Your questions have not yet been quite adequately answered, and a new one has just arrived. Lost in your thinking, you move with the crowd until a halt brings your mind back to reality: you find yourself in the main forum of the city where you had touched the mystical Moon Stone; the very stone which now stands in the middle of the plaza in its stony pedestal, albeit without its hieroglyphs as far as you can see. Five elderly men, commanding and regal in their appearance, stand around the stone, and on the other side you see the practitioners of Rapa, dressed in tattered, black hooded cloaks; a most sinister sight to behold.

"Citizens of Lacuna!" calls one of the elders. "Tonight, we decide which deity to forever swear our allegiance to, in these times of chaos and disaster. We decide which of Saros and Rapa --" At this, you hear the sounds of jeering and insults from both sides, though the elder speaking continues unperturbed, "-- will continue to provide us with the security and prosperity we have enjoyed, but are soon to lose. Tonight we come together in the sacred covenant of Pokémon battle, and by their judgement and blessing we shall see which of the two's forces wins out. Each citizen is to find another of the opposing party and do battle, under the surveillance of us and the committee, in a 1-on-1 Pokémon battle. The results shall then be tallied, and we will see whose blessings and protection reign supreme above the other. Take heed, citizens; we do not tolerate cheating in any form whatsoever. Both Saros and Rapa watch from above, and anyone found guilty of sabotage will surely be severely dealt with. Battle shall commence the moment the sun dips beyond the horizon. Citizens, may Saros and Rapa watch over us!"

Waves of people begin moving about you at the closing statement, jostling you about as the others waste no time in finding partners. After some bumping around, you find yourself face to face with a cloaked Rapa supporter -- her lithe frame wraith-like, her hair blood-red, and her ultramarine eyes piercing. Abruptly you hear the sounds of battle cries -- without you noticing, the call for combat has begun, and against the heated hollers you detect the sounds of PokéBalls popping open and Pokémon roaring with their owners.

"Renalex! Get him!" sneers the young woman you're against, summoning her partner for the battle with a swipe of her sleeved arm. A grey canine appears, growling at you with its fangs bared and fur bristling. With Medeo out for the count at the moment, looks like you'll need to depend on someone else..."

The Isle of Talas

The Sphinx

Food Guy
As you proceed to pair the discs in a suspected pattern, Meditite looks on with much interest as you do so, and when the time comes for you to present your completed handiwork she gazes thoughtfully at the arrangements, before a gentle smile graces her face.

"You're a quick one, aren't you? Being able to pick up subtle information will be invaluable to your quest," she says. "You must be capable of dealing with unexpected changes; as your next challenge will test of you."

Standing up from her lotus position, Meditite heads into the passage ahead, and with this second example no stranger to you, you quickly proceed on with Dot and Watermelon. Once again the new passage lights up in torches as you advance, and as much as you feel somewhat nervous with the lack of a guide you're not too surprise to find no sign of Meditite as you run. Soon enough you halt at the doorway leading into another battle room; this one with a dirt floor laid ahead of you instead this time. A small figure scuttles towards you, and upon closer inspection you note it to be a lavender, segmented bug with large teal eyes and dangerous-looking claws and stinger.

"Sko-rupi!" it squeaks, and before you can do much else Skorupi pokes its left arm with its right claw, and to your amazement the little scorpion's claws grow slightly longer and sharper before your very eyes from the applied Acupressure. This is going to be more interesting, challenging encounter...

Hayward
With victory nearly in sight and a slim line between it and losing, you declare your orders to what you believe is likely the final commands you'll need to give for this match. As Debra's eyes glint intuitively while she taps the power of her short-term memory to Mimic Medeo's attack, the Meditite in question positions himself to prepare for the coming attack. Sure enough Debra comes charging, her fist glowing green with the power of her briefly mastered Drain Punch, only for Medeo's eyes to glow in time, allowing him to Detect the attack and step to the side before it can connect.

Mildly annoyed as her attack fades, Debra brings her other hand up for a second Drain Punch, recharging the chartreuse parasitic power before bringing it forward, just in time to clash with Medeo's Protective barrier. Somewhat furiously, Debra pushes against Medeo's energy screen, at which Medeo reciprocates by pushing her backwards as well; both Pokémon staking all their strength the show of power. Eventually, however, Medeo flings Debra back with a upward heave of his arms, causing Debra to fall to her back and her technique to dissipate. As she hits the ground, Medeo releases his shield before lunging forward himself with a fistful of Fire. The moment the Punch strikes Debra by her cheek the Abra gives a drawn, shrill cry, and she completely collapses, in no condition to continue. Level up for Medeo.

As you move over to check on Medeo, you notice that Ikira has done the same thing, going up to Debra's limp form and gently cradling Debra in her arms with a doleful look on her face you can't help but feel sorry for. After noting Medeo's battered but otherwise conscious and healthy state, you look over to Ikira to see if she's alright, but she returns your gaze with a smiling one of her own.

"You gave it your all, didn't you Ben?" she says. "You've become so strong... you're not the weak Ben I used to know. I've got a lot to learn from you... and Debra, too." Lifting up Debra like a baby, Ikira nods towards the Healing Grounds. "It's time we prepared for tonight," notes the girl, and as she walks forward you recall Medeo to his Steel Ball so he needn't expend energy walking, before following Ikira into the cyan passageway. Going about a gradually curving path, you soon find yourself in another circular room, this one about double the size of a Lacunan mud house. In the centre of the chamber lies a pool of twenty metres in diameter, displaying a fountain in the shape of a graceful, crescent Pokémon you can't quite identify. Softly Ikira brings Debra to the edge of the fountain and places her at the water's edge in a sitting position, keeping her head above water. Releasing Medeo you proceed to follow Ikira's lead, and for a while the both of you watch on as the two Psychic humanoid Pokémon soak in the healing glow.

"...That's odd," remarks Ikira after a while. "Their injuries don't seem to be alleviating... look, you can still see where Medeo hit her with the Fire Punch," she points while frowning.

"Ben! Ikira!" The sound of Priest Mensa's voice wafts in behind you, and soon enough he graces you with his presence. "Ah, here you are. Our supporters have gathered, and the hour is soon upon us. We must gather, children..."

"What? That's impossible!" Quickly going over to your Pokémon, Mensa makes note of your Pokémon's conditions. "How long have they been exposed?"

"For about five minutes, Priest Mensa."

"Five minutes?" Deeply frowning Mensa strokes his chin in confused thought. "That certainly is troubling, to say the least. At your Pokémon's level, it should have taken less than a minute for their wounds to become healed... I presume you trained in the Battling Hall?"

"Yes, Priest Mensa."

"Hmmm." Continuing to ponder for a few more moments, Mensa heaves a sigh as he offers his answer. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss for ideas, children. This is the first time something like this has happened, and yet the Healing Waters are continuing to glow... I can't imagine what could possibly have happened. Even if a Rapa practitioner should attempt to sabotage the Healing Fountain, it simply wouldn't be within their capabilities... This is an extremely serious matter, indeed."

"What can we do, Priest Mensa?"

"I'm afraid there is nothing we can presently do, my child. Our presence is required in the City's Forum, and we can't delay attending the congregation. The future of Lacuna is going to be decided tonight, and while this would certainly warrant the concern of our leaders, I'm afraid the agenda tonight cannot be altered." Wringing his hands, Mensa places a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder. "But fret not, Ikira. As she stands guard over the fountain, surely Saros watches over us. Whatever happens, she will certainly see us through... Now, you must retreat your Pokémon, and join the rest of our group."

***

As it turns out, the number of supporters certainly come in no small number; about two hundred citizens at your estimate, with you, Ikira and Mensa included. Together you walk along the roads of Lacuna, all united by similar clothing and thoughts of loyalty in your mind -- well, perhaps excepting you. Your questions have not yet been quite adequately answered, and a new one has just arrived. Lost in your thinking, you move with the crowd until a halt brings your mind back to reality: you find yourself in the main forum of the city where you had touched the mystical Moon Stone; the very stone which now stands in the middle of the plaza in its stony pedestal, albeit without its hieroglyphs as far as you can see. Five elderly men, commanding and regal in their appearance, stand around the stone, and on the other side you see the practitioners of Rapa, dressed in tattered, black hooded cloaks; a most sinister sight to behold.

"Citizens of Lacuna!" calls one of the elders. "Tonight, we decide which deity to forever swear our allegiance to, in these times of chaos and disaster. We decide which of Saros and Rapa --" At this, you hear the sounds of jeering and insults from both sides, though the elder speaking continues unperturbed, "-- will continue to provide us with the security and prosperity we have enjoyed, but are soon to lose. Tonight we come together in the sacred covenant of Pokémon battle, and by their judgement and blessing we shall see which of the two's forces wins out. Each citizen is to find another of the opposing party and do battle, under the surveillance of us and the committee, in a 1-on-1 Pokémon battle. The results shall then be tallied, and we will see whose blessings and protection reign supreme above the other. Take heed, citizens; we do not tolerate cheating in any form whatsoever. Both Saros and Rapa watch from above, and anyone found guilty of sabotage will surely be severely dealt with. Battle shall commence the moment the sun dips beyond the horizon. Citizens, may Saros and Rapa watch over us!"

Waves of people begin moving about you at the closing statement, jostling you about as the others waste no time in finding partners. After some bumping around, you find yourself face to face with a cloaked Rapa supporter -- her lithe frame wraith-like, her hair blood-red, and her ultramarine eyes piercing. Abruptly you hear the sounds of battle cries -- without you noticing, the call for combat has begun, and against the heated hollers you detect the sounds of PokéBalls popping open and Pokémon roaring with their owners.

"Renalex! Get him!" sneers the young woman you're against, summoning her partner for the battle with a swipe of her sleeved arm. A grey canine appears, growling at you with its fangs bared and fur bristling. With Medeo out for the count at the moment, looks like you'll need to depend on someone else..."

Ben watched as the Abra Debra Mimicked his own Meditite partner’s Drain Punch technique, then charged at Medeo, her clenched hand surrounded in a faint green aura. The little Meditite Detected the incoming strike and dodged it, deftly sidestepping the swinging Abra. Slightly irritated, Debra recovered quickly and threw her other glowing fist at Medeo in another Drain Punch attack. Medeo quickly Protected himself by creating an energy shield, and Debra’s second attack also failed to do any damage. The two tenacious Psychics struggled for a moment, locked in combat, until Medeo overpowered Debra and tossed her to the ground, before dealing her the finishing blow, a Fire Punch to the cheek.

When Ben heard Debra’s pained cry and saw her collapse for good, he knew Medeo had won the practice match. As Ikira rushed to her fallen friend’s side, Ben walked over to check on Medeo. Other than a few minor bruises, the Meditite appeared to be in pretty good shape, and Ben congratulated his tiny comrade on a hard fought victory. “Brilliant bit of battling, mate. How’re you feeling?” Medeo nodded a few times and beamed back at the teenager. Ben turned to look at Ikira and see how Debra was doing, but when he saw the sad look on the silver-haired girl’s face, and the head of the badly injured Abra cradled gently in her arms, he was filled with feelings of guilt.

Ben was just about to open his mouth and apologize when Ikira caught his gaze and smiled. "You gave it your all, didn't you Ben?" she asked. Ben nodded and the silver-haired girl continued, "You've become so strong... you're not the weak Ben I used to know. I've got a lot to learn from you... and Debra, too." She lifted Debra up and nodded in the direction of the Temple’s Healing Grounds. "It's time we prepared for tonight," she remarked and started down the cyan passage. Tired from the battle, Medeo only protested mildly when Ben offered to Return him to his Steel Ball until they made it to the remedial chamber.

In silence, Ben followed Ikira along the slightly bending path that led to the Healing Grounds. As they entered the chamber, Ben spied a fountain topped with a statute of an elegant looking Pokemon he had never seen before. Surrounding the fountain was a small pool. After Ikira placed Debra into the therapeutic water, Ben released Medeo and watched as the Yoga Pokemon slowly clambered into the pool beside the Abra.

After a while, Ikira spoke. "...That's odd," she said. Frowning, she pointed at Debra’s cheek. "Their injuries don't seem to be alleviating... look, you can still see where Medeo hit her with the Fire Punch.”

"Ben! Ikira!" Ben heard Ikira’s father’s voice before he saw the old man. "Ah, here you are. Our supporters have gathered, and the hour is soon upon us. We must gather, children..."

"Priest Mensa!" Ikira stood and stared hard at her father. "The Healing Fountain of Saros... it's not working!"

"What? That's impossible!" The bearded Priest quickly inspected Debra and Medeo before continuing. "How long have they been exposed?"

"For about five minutes, Priest Mensa." Ikira replied and Ben nodded his head.

"Five minutes?" The Priest stroked his chin and thought hard about his daughter’s discovery. "That certainly is troubling, to say the least. At your Pokémon's level, it should have taken less than a minute for their wounds to become healed... I presume you trained in the Battling Hall?"

"Yes, Priest Mensa." Ikira responded and Ben nodded again.

"Hmmm." The Priest was silent for a few moments more, then answered, "I'm afraid I'm at a loss for ideas, children. This is the first time something like this has happened, and yet the Healing Waters are continuing to glow... I can't imagine what could possibly have happened. Even if a Rapa practitioner should attempt to sabotage the Healing Fountain, it simply wouldn't be within their capabilities... This is an extremely serious matter, indeed."

"What can we do, Priest Mensa?" The silver-haired girl asked her father.

"I'm afraid there is nothing we can presently do, my child. Our presence is required in the City's Forum, and we can't delay attending the congregation. The future of Lacuna is going to be decided tonight, and while this would certainly warrant the concern of our leaders, I'm afraid the agenda tonight cannot be altered." Priest Mensa said, wringing his hands. He placed a hand on Ikira’s shoulder and spoke again, "But fret not, Ikira. As she stands guard over the fountain, surely Saros watches over us. Whatever happens, she will certainly see us through... Now, you must retreat your Pokémon, and join the rest of our group."

At the Priest’s words, Ben turned to Medeo and shrugged. The Meditite held up his tiny hands, palms forward and waved them from side-to-side in objection. “Sorry, mate.” Ben replied. “But, it’s just until someone can figure out what’s going on around here. You still need to rest. If we get into any kind of trouble, I promise I’ll let you know.” He pressed the round trigger switch, and Medeo disappeared in a flash of scarlet.

* * *

As Ben followed Ikira and Priest Mensa along the roads of Lacuna to the main public forum, he couldn’t help but be surprised at the number of citizens that had turned out to show their support. His mind still raced with unanswered questions, and he remained lost in thought until the throng abruptly stopped in front of the Moon Stone statute. Ben bolted in surprise when he saw the conical stone edifice again, and he noticed right away that the only difference was the absence of the ancient carvings. Circling the stone were five wizened men, who Ben figured must be town elders. As he continued to survey his surroundings, he spied an ominous group of people clad in tattered, black-hooded cloaks, that he knew at once must be Rapa’s followers.

"Citizens of Lacuna!" one of the elders called out. "Tonight, we decide which deity to forever swear our allegiance to, in these times of chaos and disaster. We decide which of Saros and Rapa --" As the man spoke Ben heard taunts and jeers coming from both groups of people, but the speaker ignored them all and continued, "-- will continue to provide us with the security and prosperity we have enjoyed, but are soon to lose. Tonight we come together in the sacred covenant of Pokémon battle, and by their judgement and blessing we shall see which of the two's forces wins out. Each citizen is to find another of the opposing party and do battle, under the surveillance of us and the committee, in a 1-on-1 Pokémon battle. The results shall then be tallied, and we will see whose blessings and protection reign supreme above the other. Take heed, citizens; we do not tolerate cheating in any form whatsoever. Both Saros and Rapa watch from above, and anyone found guilty of sabotage will surely be severely dealt with. Battle shall commence the moment the sun dips beyond the horizon. Citizens, may Saros and Rapa watch over us!"

The public forum was alive with the movement of the crowd bumping and jostling in an effort to find suitable opponents. One thin, sneering female follower of Rapa with bright red hair and piercing blue eyes spied Ben and hollered, "Renalex! Get him!" In the blink of an eye, her Pokemon, a grey canine, appeared in front of Ben, teeth barred and fangs glinting. Instinctively, Ben reached into the fibre tote bag slung across his shoulder for Medeo’s Steel Ball, but recalling that his partner had not fully recuperated from their earlier battle, he hesitated for a moment. He sure didn’t like the thought of entering into such an important battle without his strongest and most experienced partner, and he knew Medeo wouldn’t like it either, but he didn’t think he had any other choice. Just then a thought came to Ben as he remembered that he still had some unused Sacred Ash. He was half-tempted to use it right then and there, but wavered, deciding to save it, along with Medeo, as his back-up plan. Instead of pulling out Medeo’s metallic silver Pokeball, he withdrew the half-red, half-green one belonging to the Pineco Forteo.

He pressed the round trigger switch in the center of the festive capture capsule, and a flash of scarlet light suddenly appeared, followed by a brief shower of snowflakes, and finally a small grey Pineco. “Ready, mate?” Ben asked the Bagworm Pokemon. Forteo resolutely nodded his head signaling that he was ready, before quickly spinning around on his bottom spike to face the snarling, howling canine. Ben wasted no time in issuing his combat instructions, “RAPID SPIN three times. Let’s see how well they can fight when they're dizzy!”

Hayward
With the sounds of battle bordering on war going on all around you, concentrating on your current conflict is difficult at best, but even so you release Forteo the Pineco in response to the Rapa girl's Poochyena. At once Forteo goes into Rapid Spin mode, rotating quickly on his sharp rear like a top and sidewinding into Renalex, causing the puppy with shorter fangs to growl gruffly.

"Is that all it can do?" sneers the enemy. "Renalex, Howl! Then take it into a Tackle!"

Firmly standing her ground, Renalex takes a glance at the moon above you, revealed against the continuously darkening sky, before releasing a piercing baying sound that involuntarily sends a shudder up your spine. For a moment Forteo appears to falter in his spinning, but it doesn't take long for him to regain his Rapid momentum and slam into Renalex for a second shot. However, this gives the Dark-typed dog a chance to give Forteo a forward slam of her own, sending your Pineco skidding across the dirt. It takes Forteo a bit longer to get back on his bottom this time, and having undergone two bouts of spinning he's looking dizzy himself.

"Now, Renalex! Fire Fang!" shouts the young woman, and to your horror the female Poochyena's teeth start bristling with flames even as she stands before you. Lunging at Forteo she clamps her jaws down hard, and you hear the sound of bark cracking against Forteo's pained cry. As Renalex backs away you notice that while Forteo wasn't burned from the assault, his wide eyes suggest that Renalex's crunching has caused him to flinch. That third Rapid Spin won't be happening, it seems, and unless you pick up the pace there might not be another opportunity...

Stark
With no turning back for any of you, you quickly issue your orders to Houndour, who sneers at Raticate disdainfully in spite of the difference in size as Carolina giggles behind you. Lawrence's lip appears to curl up a little at your sheer defiance, but whether it's over your remark or his determination you can't quite tell, nor are you too concerned about it. Taking a deep breath Houndour releases a cloud of thick, toxic Smog from her mouth, which wafts menacingly over to Raticate while the Dark canine watches smugly. For a moment as Lawrence and Raticate remain silent you almost expect this encounter to be a walkover, but this hypothesis is soon disproved.

"Raticate, use Swords Dance!" declares Lawrence, at which the whiskered mouse stands on one feet, spinning upon the spot as gracefully as a buck-toothed ball of fur can manage. Pushed apart by the miniature tornado, the gas cloud dissipates like dust mites fed through a paper shredder until its entirety has dissolved into the troposphere. "And Hyper Fang!"

"Rrrrraticate!" Launching itself at Houndour, you wince as Raticate nearly literally takes a piece out of your Pok&#233;mon, its large fangs ramming deep into her chest. In retaliation, Houndour makes use of the close range to launch a point-blank Fire Spin, catching the offensive rat in a vortex of towering flame. Screeching as it falls back, Raticate tries to roll about to put the fire out without much success, and you briefly hear Caroline coo in wonder at your Houndour's apparent strength.

"Keep calm, Raticate!" Lawrence orders. "Use Flame Wheel to counter!"

"RrrrraaaaAAAT!" Even as it squeaks loudly above the raging fire, you hear Raticate stop in its interjection, prompting you to ponder over what Lawrence could be planning this time. The answer comes as a surprise as the bottom of the inferno around Raticate suddenly gives way, unravelling from the foot like a fraying rope and running to the top, revealing Raticate spinning on the spot while surrounded in its own fire. A moment of thought makes you realise that Raticate must have countered Houndour's attack by working against the Fire Spin in the opposite direction, thus wearing out the technique.

"Raticate, take that Houndour down with a Quick Attack! Then Cut it down to size!" calls Lawrence as Raticate stops its Flame Wheel and recovers, glaring at Houndour with a murderous gleam in its eye. Now things have gone personal, it seems...

"Houndour Counter and Bite it while it's close to you!" Stark shouted out to his partner. This wasn't what he wanted. A battle with an obsessed man and his well trained Raticate. All he wanted was to go on a date with a beautiful woman and maybe see where that led to. Regardless, he was in it now. There was no turning back and even less room for failure.

The raticate's use of moves to counter other moves was clever and clearly Lawrence was not the type of man who used his pokemon as mere tools. Training like that took work and practice. Stark felt his teeth tighten down. Houndour had taken a bad hit and while physically it didn't affect Stark, emotionally he felt the blow as much as Houndour did. Had they been able to contain the raticate in the fire spin they might have had time to figure out a more peaceful way out of this, but the look on Raticate's face showed that there was no quitting until someone lie unable to move or even six feet under. It was a little tough to tell.

"Carolina," he mumbled to himself as a reminder as to why he was fighting in the first place. Her perfume was intoxicating. Were she not so close he may not have even noticed it, but as it was he couldn't ignore it. Even if he did stop Lawrence and his raticate, would she tell him what was going on? Could she? Stark pushed the stray thoughts from his mind.

"One thing at a time," he told himself as he carefully watched the scene before him, "Houndour as soon as you get a good shot Fire Blast!"

Food Guy
As you proceed to pair the discs in a suspected pattern, Meditite looks on with much interest as you do so, and when the time comes for you to present your completed handiwork she gazes thoughtfully at the arrangements, before a gentle smile graces her face.

"You're a quick one, aren't you? Being able to pick up subtle information will be invaluable to your quest," she says. "You must be capable of dealing with unexpected changes; as your next challenge will test of you."

Standing up from her lotus position, Meditite heads into the passage ahead, and with this second example no stranger to you, you quickly proceed on with Dot and Watermelon. Once again the new passage lights up in torches as you advance, and as much as you feel somewhat nervous with the lack of a guide you're not too surprise to find no sign of Meditite as you run. Soon enough you halt at the doorway leading into another battle room; this one with a dirt floor laid ahead of you instead this time. A small figure scuttles towards you, and upon closer inspection you note it to be a lavender, segmented bug with large teal eyes and dangerous-looking claws and stinger.

"Sko-rupi!" it squeaks, and before you can do much else Skorupi pokes its left arm with its right claw, and to your amazement the little scorpion's claws grow slightly longer and sharper before your very eyes from the applied Acupressure. This is going to be more interesting, challenging encounter...

"You're a quick one, aren't you? Being able to pick up subtle information will be invaluable to your quest," Meditite said. "You must be capable of dealing with unexpected changes; as your next challenge will test of you."

The fighting type pokemon stood up from her lotus position and headed into the passage ahead of her. That was no surprise to Karmas, having experienced it before with Baltoy, and he walked on with Dot and Watermelon. Like the passages before, torches lit up as the group walked on, but Karmas couldn't help but feel a tad bit nervous at his lack of a guide, and he wasn't surprised when he couldn't see any sign of Meditite. Soon Karmas came to a doorway that led into another battle room. This time the room had a dirt floor.

A small figure scuttleed towards Karmas, and upon closer inspection he noted that the pokemon was a lavender, segmented bug with large teal eyes and dangerous-looking claws and stinger.

"Sko-rupi!" it squeaked, and before Karmas could do anything Skorupi poked its left arm with its right claw, and to the trainer's amazement the little scorpion's claws grew slightly longer and sharper before his very eyes from the applied Acupressure.

"Well this is going to be a bit more of a challenge," muttered Karmas. "Well, its your time to shine Dot."

The ladybug flew forwards and prepared to fight.

"Okay, start off with a Supersonic followed up by a Mach Punch and Comet Punch!" ordered Karmas.

Stark
With the situation becoming trickier and trickier than it first seemed, you quickly call a fresh set of commands from Houndour, in time as Raticate's Quick Attack comes in at nearly lightning-speed. Ramming himself fully into Houndour, Raticate is soon surprised as the underworld canine slams into him at twice the strength, surrounded by the red aura of the Counter she managed to barely succeed in establishing. As Houndour smirks at her opponent, Raticate glares back with no less ferocity than before, raising a sharpened claw to Cut to Houndour's chase. The hit comes across Houndour's skull-shaped protrusion on the forehead, causing her to grunt as she feels the raking through the calcite formation, but the close range leaves her an opening to Bite Raticate on the ear. Not having expected an attack on a rather delicate portion of its anatomy, Raticate releases another series of shrieks while Houndour hangs on, to the point where Houndour finally lets go; bright red dots a clear signature of her handiwork.

Rubbing its ear in a bid to soothe the pain, Raticate fails to notice Houndour's subsequent attack; a sizeable Fire Blast that has even Lawrence reflexively raising his arms to shield himself. Cinders spread as the Asian character of pure flame takes Raticate by storm, and the loudest you've heard from the buck-toothed rodent rips about the alleyway, echoed by the walls. As the fires clear you half expect Raticate to be down and out, but in spite of your expectations and a distinct burn along its chest, if anything Raticate seems only more willing to fight; its fur standing up most alarmingly. A sense of dread fills you as you realise Raticate must be showing off its Guts ability. Looks like things have just kicked up another notch on the difficulty scale...

The Isle of Talas

The Sphinx

Food Guy
Musing on the upgrade in difficulty between battle challenges, you delegate your Ledian to active stations along with her first mission orders. Flapping her wings at Supersonic speed, Dot succeeds in releasing a sound wave at obfusticating frequency that washes over Skorupi, who immediately starts ambling about with proverbial spirals in its eyes. Keeping up with her swift routine, Dot proceeds on to throw a Punch at Mach speed, a brief explosion of air erupting from Dot's attacking hand, but the hit appears to smack against Skorupi's body with as much effect as a puff of air -- Skorupi's venomous insectoid affinity rendering the attack severely weakened. Wildly waving its claws, Skorupi begins firing a Poison Sting around, but its state of addlement results in the toxic needles flying willy-nilly, managing to strike anywhere but Dot and her teammates -- dodges, instinctively executed by you and your Pokémon, aiding the lack of damage inflicted.

Zooming back into the fray, Dot continues by executing her Comet Punch technique, landing a series of quick blows onto the enemy's back, careful to avoid making contact with Skorupi's tail, but as the last knuckle sandwich flings Skorupi backwards you notice the confusion beaten out of its eyes. Springing at Dot with surprising acrobatics, Skorupi succeeds in landing a Bite on Dot's left foot, prompting the Ledian to attempt shaking off the poisonous irritant, which she does after a few good moments of violent tossing. Not quite done with Dot, you watch as Skorupi shoots a Leer at Dot's pained gaze, causing her to shudder briefly as her arms droop a little. This little bugger's a feisty one, to be sure...

Hayward
With the sounds of battle bordering on war going on all around you, concentrating on your current conflict is difficult at best, but even so you release Forteo the Pineco in response to the Rapa girl's Poochyena. At once Forteo goes into Rapid Spin mode, rotating quickly on his sharp rear like a top and sidewinding into Renalex, causing the puppy with shorter fangs to growl gruffly.

"Is that all it can do?" sneers the enemy. "Renalex, Howl! Then take it into a Tackle!"

Firmly standing her ground, Renalex takes a glance at the moon above you, revealed against the continuously darkening sky, before releasing a piercing baying sound that involuntarily sends a shudder up your spine. For a moment Forteo appears to falter in his spinning, but it doesn't take long for him to regain his Rapid momentum and slam into Renalex for a second shot. However, this gives the Dark-typed dog a chance to give Forteo a forward slam of her own, sending your Pineco skidding across the dirt. It takes Forteo a bit longer to get back on his bottom this time, and having undergone two bouts of spinning he's looking dizzy himself.

"Now, Renalex! Fire Fang!" shouts the young woman, and to your horror the female Poochyena's teeth start bristling with flames even as she stands before you. Lunging at Forteo she clamps her jaws down hard, and you hear the sound of bark cracking against Forteo's pained cry. As Renalex backs away you notice that while Forteo wasn't burned from the assault, his wide eyes suggest that Renalex's crunching has caused him to flinch. That third Rapid Spin won't be happening, it seems, and unless you pick up the pace there might not be another opportunity...

In the public forum of the ancient civilization of Lacuna, the trainer Benjamin Hale watched as the events of the battle unfolded before his grey-green eyes. His initial strategy of trying to confuse the Poochyena Renalex by making her dizzy had not worked, and he winced as the monochromatic wolfpup sank it's fiery fangs into the body of his Pineco partner Forteo. Their hooded opponent continued to mock; taunting because her Pokemon had only suffered minor damage, while Forteo had been on the receiving end of two vicious strikes.

Ben knew that the little Bagworm Pokemon had taken the worst of the fighting up to this point. Unless they tried something different, Forteo might not last much longer. Dragging a hand through his short brown hair, Ben thought hard to come up with a new battleplan. After a moment of consideration, the teenage trainer wasted no time issuing instructions to his tiny, insectoid companion. “Forteo, quick TAKE DOWN Renalex, then TACKLE her again! Be ready to PROTECT yourself if she tries to attack back! Hang in there, mate, we’re not beat yet!”

Hayward
As other battles continue raging around you, you try your best to focus on your own situation and attempt to turn the tables around. Renalex is already bounding forward for another Tackle, but Forteo is poised to Take Down the opposing Poochyena, jetting into her legs with his tough cranial spike painfully poking into her torso. Wheezing from the surprise attack, Renalex paws backward a little from the discomfort, but as a result of Forteo's angle in assault the Pineco doesn't escape completely unscathed from the exchange.

"Grrrr... Renalex, Fire Fang again!" hisses the Rapa practitioner, and Renalex seems only too glad for a second course of barbecued pine cone. However, even as she lunges with teeth ablaze, her inflamed incisors are caught in Forteo's Protect shielding, holding the canine harmlessly away from your own Pok&#233;mon. Taking a brief moment to give a wooden smirk at Renalex, Forteo dissipates his barrier to land a Tackle of his own to the Poochyena's gut, once again causing her to yelp from the unpleasant piercing sensation.

"Get up, Renalex!" barks the enemy trainer, as the canine rolls about the ground in a bid to regain original quadrupedal position. "Sand-Attack, now!"

"Poo-chYEN!" Performing a roundabout turn, Renalex starts kicking up the dirt now behind her, and while Forteo's Bug-type is usually tolerable against Ground techniques the disruptive attack does its job; Forteo crying out in annoyance at the grit all about his body. Instinctively the Pineco tries to shake off as much as sand as he can, but you can tell there are still some particles in his eyes he can't quite get rid of...

"Now that's better." Remarking smugly, the Rapan woman points ahead with a sharpened fingernail. "Howl to the moon once again, Renalex, then Bite down hard!"

Stark
With the situation becoming trickier and trickier than it first seemed, you quickly call a fresh set of commands from Houndour, in time as Raticate's Quick Attack comes in at nearly lightning-speed. Ramming himself fully into Houndour, Raticate is soon surprised as the underworld canine slams into him at twice the strength, surrounded by the red aura of the Counter she managed to barely succeed in establishing. As Houndour smirks at her opponent, Raticate glares back with no less ferocity than before, raising a sharpened claw to Cut to Houndour's chase. The hit comes across Houndour's skull-shaped protrusion on the forehead, causing her to grunt as she feels the raking through the calcite formation, but the close range leaves her an opening to Bite Raticate on the ear. Not having expected an attack on a rather delicate portion of its anatomy, Raticate releases another series of shrieks while Houndour hangs on, to the point where Houndour finally lets go; bright red dots a clear signature of her handiwork.

Rubbing its ear in a bid to soothe the pain, Raticate fails to notice Houndour's subsequent attack; a sizeable Fire Blast that has even Lawrence reflexively raising his arms to shield himself. Cinders spread as the Asian character of pure flame takes Raticate by storm, and the loudest you've heard from the buck-toothed rodent rips about the alleyway, echoed by the walls. As the fires clear you half expect Raticate to be down and out, but in spite of your expectations and a distinct burn along its chest, if anything Raticate seems only more willing to fight; its fur standing up most alarmingly. A sense of dread fills you as you realise Raticate must be showing off its Guts ability. Looks like things have just kicked up another notch on the difficulty scale...

Stark's eyes went wide with surprise. Lawrence's Raticate was proving to be a tough opponent alright. Picking a fight was maybe not the best idea. While Houndour would undoubtedly fight to protect Stark with her life, the trainer had no intention of letting things go that far. There were really only two options left open to them. Continue to fight and hopefully defeat the surprisingly strong Raticate or flee and hope that they can get away cleanly.

While the second option had some merit and overall was probably the smarter choice overall, It just didn't seem to be the feasible one at this point. Lawrence had been able to track Carolina down before. Running now would only delay another inevitable confrontation. Better to stop him now if he could. Part of him wondered if this really was the best way to solve the problem. Whatever problem that may be. So far neither Carolina nor Lawrence had been very forthcoming with information pertaining to their circumstances. All of which left Stark feeling as if he had stumbled his way into something that might not have been any of his business. Then again he could hardly turn down a request for help from someone like Carolina. It just wasn't in his nature.

"Houndour! Hang in there girl! Don't let him intimidate you. Yeah he's tough, but you can beat him. Believe it," Stark encouraged his partner, "Leer him down. Then hit it with a Dark Pulse before rushing in and sinking in a Thunder Fang."

Having given Houndour an attack plan Stark turned his head slightly to the side so that he could see both the battle and Carolina's face peripherally and asked, "Just how tough is this Raticate?"

Hayward
As other battles continue raging around you, you try your best to focus on your own situation and attempt to turn the tables around. Renalex is already bounding forward for another Tackle, but Forteo is poised to Take Down the opposing Poochyena, jetting into her legs with his tough cranial spike painfully poking into her torso. Wheezing from the surprise attack, Renalex paws backward a little from the discomfort, but as a result of Forteo's angle in assault the Pineco doesn't escape completely unscathed from the exchange.

"Grrrr... Renalex, Fire Fang again!" hisses the Rapa practitioner, and Renalex seems only too glad for a second course of barbecued pine cone. However, even as she lunges with teeth ablaze, her inflamed incisors are caught in Forteo's Protect shielding, holding the canine harmlessly away from your own Pok&#233;mon. Taking a brief moment to give a wooden smirk at Renalex, Forteo dissipates his barrier to land a Tackle of his own to the Poochyena's gut, once again causing her to yelp from the unpleasant piercing sensation.

"Get up, Renalex!" barks the enemy trainer, as the canine rolls about the ground in a bid to regain original quadrupedal position. "Sand-Attack, now!"

"Poo-chYEN!" Performing a roundabout turn, Renalex starts kicking up the dirt now behind her, and while Forteo's Bug-type is usually tolerable against Ground techniques the disruptive attack does its job; Forteo crying out in annoyance at the grit all about his body. Instinctively the Pineco tries to shake off as much as sand as he can, but you can tell there are still some particles in his eyes he can't quite get rid of...

"Now that's better." Remarking smugly, the Rapan woman points ahead with a sharpened fingernail. "Howl to the moon once again, Renalex, then Bite down hard!"

"Now that's better." The Rapan woman remarked smugly, pointing ahead with a sharpened fingernail. "Howl to the moon once again, Renalex, then Bite down hard!"

As the wraith-like Rapa disciple finished issuing her commands, Ben wasted no time in getting to work on his own strategy. Dragging a hand through his short, brown hair, the teenage trainer thought hard to come up with a plan. After only a moment of consideration, he nodded in satisfaction, and hurried to relay his instructions. “Forteo! Quick! Try to clear your vision by RAPIDly SPINning that sand out of your eyes! When you’re close enough not to miss Renelax, BUG BITE her on the soft part of the neck! If that works, mate, give her another BUG BITE!”

Pausing for a moment, Ben briefly reflected on the words of the wizened Priest Mensa. The outcome of this encounter could ultimately determine the fate of Lacuna. Ben knew that he had to stop his adversary acolyte, no matter what. Comparing the two battling Pokemon up to this point, he realized that Forteo had taken quite a bit more damage than Renelax. He wasn’t sure how much longer his Pinceo partner would last. Thinking quickly he decided on a Plan-B, failsafe option for Forteo to carry out should things begin to get ugly before they could get in that second Bug Bite. As Ben watched his diminutive companion courageously staring down the malicious, snarling Poochyena he quickly added, “Alright mate, here’s our fallback plan -- I need you to be ready for a Last Stand SELFDESTRUCT so you can take Renelax with you kamikaze-style if you feel like you just can’t go on any longer, or if it looks like Renelax is about knock you out!” Ben knew it was risky, but they had to make sure that their black-robed opponent didn’t win.

Stark
Peering behind you enough to briefly extend your field of vision, you halt midway in your question when you realise that Carolina isn't within that relevant area. As a matter of fact, your senses have not been sending back messages of Carolina's presence for quite a while, but the sounds of Houndour barking and Raticate screeching soon pull your attention back where it's most needed. Arcing her spine to assume a more intimidating stance, Houndour aims a Leer into Raticate's eyes, but in the overgrown rodent's rage it's impossible to tell if it got through at all.

"Shred it, Raticate! Facade!"

Taking on a yellow aura, Raticate tears at Houndour with unbridled anger; his technique boosted by his offensive power and glaring injury. Crashing into your Pok&#233;mon like a bullet train, Raticate gives your canine girl a taste of what he's had to go through, and Houndour is sent tumbling to your feet from the force. Whimpering from the pain, Houndour scrabbles back to her four feet, glaring daggers at her foe but not without some wince out of agony. Another screech is heard as Raticate comes with his Hyper Fangs glinting against the light; however a quickly deployed Dark Pulse from Houndour's maw soon puts the brown mouse away in mid-flight, leaving the turn to Raticate to play rolling to his trainer's feet. Much like Houndour just did Raticate regains his composure, but even as his teeth clacks alarmingly you see a nervous twitch mixed in with his stare; evidently, Houndour's attack left a big enough impression for Raticate to be flinched by it.

At the sight of her opponent's temporal inactivity, Houndour wastes no time as she goes forward, heading straight at Raticate's torso region with a Thunder Fang crackling in the works. A buzzing sound as fangs meet with fur, joined by another blood-curling yelp, before Raticate begins Flailing about to toss Houndour off. The Dark Pok&#233;mon takes a number of scratches and bites before she is finally wrenched from Raticate's form. As both Pok&#233;mon face each other wounded and panting, this battle as it stands could go either way, depending on who manages to land the finishing blow.

"Raticate, Dig your way out of this for a while!" shouts Lawrence, undoubtedly aware of the decisive scenario as you are...

The Lost City of Lacuna

Lacuna City

Hayward
The sounds about you increase in volume and intensity as surely, the battles underway get more dire and emotions get further strained, neither side willing to back down. For most, failure is most decisively not the option, and no one is prepared to be a holder of that title. Further unease grips your thoughts as you spy some of the Pok&#233;mon battles beginning to spill into fisticuffs, while others result in exchanges so violent you turn away wincing. Nevertheless, until you can deal with your current situation there is little else in your priority list at the moment. Revolving for a moment to take his aim, Forteo squints against the throbbing sensations in his eyes as Renalex looks upwards at the silver celestial orb above, but even as she starts to execute her second Howl Forteo comes in with his Rapid Spin, slamming into the Poochyena's jaw while he tries blinking away the sand in conjunction to oscillating the particles away. Amidst all this, Forteo plants his face into Renalex's fur, and a moment later you hear the sound of bark creaking. Yelpingly, Renalex tears away from Forteo's Bug Bite, losing several strands of her dark fur in the process, clearly disturbed by how an apparently mouthless creature can carry out a Bug Bite. As Forteo appears to blink away the last of the sands, Renalex cowers behind the cloak of her none-too-pleased trainer.

"Renalex! Get back in there!" the young woman half barks, half snarls. "Pin it to the ground with your Tackle! I mean NOW!"

While you watch, you notice the girl's cloak shift back, before a lunge has Renalex tumbling forward; it looks much like the Rapan kicked her Poochyena to prove her point. Briefly glancing sorely at her owner, Renalex turns back to Forteo, snarling in defiance as she comes charging. Prepared for this, Forteo goes ahead; the act of dealing super-effective damage having boosted his confidence a good amount. As Poochyena dives, Forteo bounds up slightly to deliver another Bug Bite to his opponent, this time on her forehead. More yelping is heard as Renalex runs about in circles, trying her darnedest to break off the pine cone now afflicting her head, and if not for the Lacunan situation the sight might have been almost hilarious. On the other side Renalex's trainer stamps her feet in utter disbelief and rage at her Pok&#233;mon, but if one thing is for sure, Renalex seems to have lost sight, track, or motivation of the battle. A decisive move might be all it takes for you to clinch victory here...